Publishers Weekly - Audio
The pulp fictions of the late Hubbard—who wrote numerous New York Times bestsellers and founded theChurch of Scientology—are immeasurably improved for modern audiences in these entertaining full-cast radio dramas, complete with slick production, sound effects, and rousing musical themes straight out of a Saturday serial. In this collection of stories—which includes a bodice-ripper action piece with a stock bad guy and a damsel in distress—the capable cast turns in a series of polished performances. The collection’s high point is “The Squad That Never Came Back,” a gripping story of greed and death narrated by the sole survivor of a Foreign Legion contingent based in Morocco. Fans of radio dramas and the pulp novels of 1930s and 1940s will be delighted. A Galaxy paperback. (Mar.)
Publishers Weekly
The title story of this Hubbard pulp fiction reissue isn’t actually the most interesting of the three pulse-pounding long short stories in the collection. That distinction goes to “The Squad That Never Came Back,” recounted in flashbacks by an unnamed corporal in the Foreign Legion stationed in Morocco. The opening pulls readers in: “Back in Sidi-bel-Abbès they still think that my squad and I died in a miserable outpost on the northern slope of the High Atlas Mountains.” The narrator reveals that he alone survived to tell the tale, and proceeds to relate how the remains of men dead only two years were found buried in an ancient Roman city after his squad became obsessed with buried treasure. The suspense is markedly more heightened than in “Hell’s Legionnaire,” which almost instantly presents an attractive woman falling into the clutches of a lecherous villain, who literally licks his lips at having her in his power. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
“Hell’s Legionnaire is just the latest installment in an ambitious project to transform more than 200 of Hubbard’s stories from the pulp fiction era into multi-cast audio productions complete with stunning digital quality music and sound effects.” —Audiobook Heaven
"The pulp fictions of the late Hubbard—who wrote numerous New York Times bestsellers and founded the Church of Scientology—are immeasurably improved for modern audiences in these entertaining full-cast radio dramas, complete with slick production, sound effects, and rousing musical themes straight out of a Saturday serial. In this collection of stories—which includes a bodice-ripper action piece with a stock bad guy and a damsel in distress—the capable cast turns in a series of polished performances. The collection’s high point is “The Squad That Never Came Back,” a gripping story of greed and death narrated by the sole survivor of a Foreign Legion contingent based in Morocco. Fans of radio dramas and the pulp novels of 1930s and 1940s will be delighted." —Publishers Weekly
"Featuring full casts plus a narrator and heaps of sound effects, these programs burst to life on audio. The sound effects especially propel the action in a way that print can’t match. Hubbard (1911–86) researched the technical aspects of his subjects (planes, ships, weapons, etc.), lending an authentic feel to his descriptions. The brevity of the stories also keeps them moving briskly. Overall, these are three solid additions to the ongoing series, which will be enjoyed by fans of pulp writing and old-time action, adventure, and romance. Pure fun and you can’t beat the price—grab ’em!" —Library Journal
Each story is a great escapism story that will give you the chance for some great adventure while staying within your own comfort zone.” —Gil Wilson, Gil-T Pleasures Blog
“Hubbard’s stories of Americans in the French Foreign Legion positively sparkle in audio format. ...just plain fun.”—AudioFile
Library Journal - Audio
Galaxy released a handful of Hubbard’s vintage pulp stories last year in its “Stories from the Golden Age” series, but this is the best of them. The package includes the title story plus “The Barbarians” and “The Squad That Never Came Back.” All released in 1935, these tales chronicle the death match between the French Foreign Legion and the Berbers in Morocco. The stories offer loads of action, and Hubbard doesn’t pull his punches—battles between the soldiers and the Arabs, beheadings, and torture scenes are refreshingly graphic. An absolute blast, and you can’t beat the price. (LJ 3/15/12)
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MARCH 2012 - AudioFile
Hubbard’s stories of Americans in the French Foreign Legion positively sparkle in audio format. Plots, murder, secret treasure, and damsels in distress abound in the three stories in this collection. The full cast delights as the throngs of morally shaky French soldiers and vicious Berber villains. Michael Yurchak voices the American soldiers thrown into this mix in “Hell’s Legionnaire” and “The Barbarians.” His vocal swagger matches the bad-boy characters perfectly. Phil Proctor takes on the jaded Legionnaire in “The Squad That Never Came Back,” a story of greed and death. While all these characters and plot twists are a bit dated, predictable, and decidedly NOT politically correct, listeners should not be deterred. Like all of Galaxy’s Hubbard productions, these stories are best taken for what they are—just plain fun. A.H.A. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine
